Politics & Government

Pleasant Valley and Braddock Road Intersection Long a Problem

Some residents say that while the situation is bad, they're worried improvements will only move the problem to other areas.

Centreville and Chantilly area residents have known for years that the intersection of Pleasant Valley and Braddock roads is a problem for drivers, but some are concerned over the proposed solutions. 

VDOT is considering adding a roundabout or a stoplight at the four-way intersection. The intersection has long been a trouble spot: eight years ago an effort to put in a roundabout went nowhere after project costs rose significantly.

About three dozen residents attended a meeting on the project in the Sully District Governmental Center Monday. Some said that they're worried the traffic will just get worse elsewhere if the situation at the intersection improves. 

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"The roundabout scares the heck out of me," said Chris Terpak-Malm, a Pleasant View Estates resident. 

She said residents of the 40-home community already have a difficult time getting out of their neighborhood in the morning, with commuters unwilling to slow down. She said she is concerned that the roundabout will only exacerbate the problem. 

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"You let them go even faster, we're never getting out of my neighborhood," Terpak-Malm said. 

Read more about options to improve the Pleasant Valley and Braddock Road intersection. 

Logan Steve, a member of the the Virginia Run Board of Trustees, asked on behalf of the board that VDOT consider two things: putting in an island and three traffic lights along Pleasant Valley Road.

"It is necessary to consider what happens when you push the problem," Steve said. 

He said that many Virginia Run residents already have a difficult time getting out of their neighborhoods. The board is concerned that drivers will speed up even more once they get to a section of the road with more lanes. 

Officials said they don't think that getting vehicles through the intersection more quickly will necessarily make other areas worse. Frey said that he doesn't anticipate many negative consequences. 

"I understand fears and I understand concerns, but the bottom line is, any improvement is going to shift traffic minimally," he said. 


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